Smile the Sweeter Quickening a Pulse
by hyenagal
Summary: Finding out who you are is just one step taken towards growing up. Falling in love would be the second step. Nightclub!AU. Crossover Mai-HiME/Mai-Otome.
1. Keep the Beat Going

**Title:** Smile the Sweeter Quickening a Pulse  
**Author:** hyena_gal  
**Fandoms:** Mai-HiME/Mai-Otome  
**Summary**: _Finding out who you are is just one step taken towards growing up. Falling in love would be the second step._ Nightclub!AU. Crossover Mai-HiME/Mai-Otome.  
**Pairings:** Kuga Natsuki/Viola Shizuru, Haruka Armitage/Yukino Chrysant  
**Rating:** T  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine. Never mine.  
**A/N:** No magical powers and no evil star in this one. Just _Rorschach _as a nightclub. That's it.

* * *

**Chapter 1**: Keep the Beat Going

"She's with me."

Yukino had to clear her throat in order to say it, but once the words came out, Haruka just stepped close to her, their shoulders bumping slightly as she leaned a bit against her and gave her girlfriend a crooked smile which the smaller girl returned in full. Pulling out her cell phone from her dark green coat's pocket, Yukino searched through the saved messages she had until she found the one she needed.

Standing just behind them as she were, Shizuru bowed her head as she briefly smiled too. Looked down at a couple of mashed cigarette butts near her feet in the alley they were currently in. Only made her absently wonder why certain individuals in the world felt such an aversion to making use of trash cans of all things.

The three of them were standing out in front of _Rorschach;_ neon sign faintly buzzing above them like an exceptionally angry electric beehive, purple light of it cutting vibrating shapes into the blackness, the only illumination provided for them to see by. From within the club the sound of music was audible, bass low and thumping like a working heart in the night, hidden behind walls like a secret to be found.

Her two friends in front of her let her pass in between them in order for her to mimic the action Yukino had just previously carried out: with lazy practice, Shizuru found the required saved picture on her own phone and held the mobile up towards the slot in the door at eye level to show the gleaming screen in the darkness to whoever was standing on the other side of it, other arm hugging her waist, serving as comfortable support for the lifted elbow. The night air was getting chilly, unfortunately. They were only in mid-September. Whatever happened to the pleasantly mild days after sunset they'd had only a few weeks ago?

It made going to a club a decidedly cold affair.

A second passed before the door was unlocked; smoke and strings of numerous muffled conversations met them in a wave from inside, almost something solid to touch and feel when it was combined like this as they stepped inside, atmosphere to sense with the skin, faces to drink in with the eyes.

There wasn't a lot of people present tonight; granted, _Rorschach_ was _never_ really a crowded club in any way, which was a small blessing in more than one way. Through the dim lightning and indistinct outlines of the locale lost in shadows, Shizuru could make out the shapes of seated, standing and dancing club goers. The smallest of dance floors and a half-vacant bar lay in front of them. The chance of brushing shoulders with anyone else was at a minimum; it was a nice change, actually, seeing as the place did have a tendency to be crowded most Thursday nights.

The three women effortlessly made their way to an unoccupied booth, slid into it, seating themselves around the small round table set in the middle and shrugged out of their jackets and coats. Taking in their surroundings, the earlier assessment made seemed to have been correct; everyone currently in the club were carrying on with their half-loud conversations with each other, groups of three or four or simply couples sitting together in booths, only stopping their talking when new faces stepped inside, moved through the club. The few persons who'd braved to be anywhere else which wasn't the secluded safety of one of those were up at the bar, either leaning against it as they chit-chatted with someone else or simply kept to themselves, nursing their drinks with unreadable expressions.

As they made themselves comfortable, Shizuru and Yukino's fingers happened to brush on top of the almost black wood of the table for a second.

"Your hand is cold, Yukino..." Shizuru quietly commented as she quickly covered the other female's hand with hers. Gave it a single squeeze and let her eyes hood as the other woman laughed self-consciously, started commenting on the weather they were having. It didn't take long before that slow smirk which always seemed to promise a _lot_ of particular activities most commonly enjoyed in a bedroom setting made its appearance.

Haruka made a loud noise when she finally noticed it. Half-enraged, half-surprised as she hunched over the table in order to shield the bespectacled female at her side from the aim of the smouldering look which was being directed at her. Shizuru simply slowly leaned back in reaction, wildly amused smile playing on her lips instead.

"Just because you're the world's biggest quirt, Shizuru, doesn't mean you get to hit on _my_ girlfriend!" the frowning woman declared, narrowing her eyes in warning.

"I think you mean 'flirt', Haruka-chan..." Yukino commented with a laugh next to her, calm and soft-spoken as always, still managing to make herself heard above all the assorted sounds wrapping around the trio.

The song currently playing was bleeding small vibrations down into the skin of Shizuru's hands and her neck. Fluttering butterfly touches of moving pulses. Arching an eyebrow, she propped her elbows on the table, laced her fingers together and rested her chin lightly atop of them as she looked at Haruka. "Well, it's not that I'm opposed to a little whip action if we're talking about the right woman..."

The expression the words elicited were predictable. The excessive amount of sputtering and catching of breath from the blonde's side then was just a little bonus, really.

Once Haruka had calmed down enough to form a somewhat coherent sentences again, there didn't seem to be any end to the pursed lips and disapproving glaring she was met with. "You've always been a pervert, Shizuru. For as long as I've known you."

The smile she gave her then could have belonged to an angel, it was that serene. Shrugging slightly, Shizuru fluttered her eyelashes in an obviously exaggerated manner. "Well, at least you can't accuse me of not being predictable then?"

Her friend gave her a deadpan stare which could only really be thought of as kind of insulting if she had been in any other company. "You know I only came tonight, because Yukino asked me to. You know, I'm still fighting my cold," was what she finally answered, as though that was the cleverest and not the most obvious thing ever. Well, okay, certainly it was when it came to the obvious part, but... Haruka was never one to hold back when it came to letting her exact thoughts be known when it came to a certain devilishly grinning woman's behaviour.

Shizuru tilted her head inquisitively.

"Why didn't you stay at home then?"

Haruka frowned. If she did it even more spectacularly she was going to carry an uncanny resemblance to a moping frog. "Like I'd leave Yukino alone in your company."

Yukino just looked like she really wished she knew how to call a truce between them by simply intensely pleading with her eyes.

When the headstrong female refused to mentally back down for only a few minutes, Shizuru gave her a pointedly searching look before heaving a prominent sigh. One hand curled under her chin, she made a light sweeping motion in the direction of the bar with the other one. "Well, as a peace offering I'll be buying drinks for the two of you then. What would you like?"

Yukino considered for a few seconds before letting her choice fall on a glass of Umesho on the Rocks and, completely predictably, Haruka simply said she was going to have whatever Yukino was having, which came as big as a surprise as if she'd proclaimed she thought Shizuru was acting like a horny freak most of the time.

Some things should never change. Preordained order of the universe and everything in its right place.

No problems getting to the bar and ordering beverages, seeing as there was enough room to stand with no crowding done. The bartender, a black-haired man in his earlier thirties with bangs which kept getting in his eyes as he got the orders ready, pushed the glasses in front of Shizuru with a sure hand once he finished pouring them.

And that's when it happened; Shizuru was on her way back with the drinks to their table when she happened to turn her head a bit, look in a certain direction... and her entire body stilled, muscles freezing up all at once, just like that.

If an individual's face was able to say more than words, this would have been the prime example above all in world history; she didn't need to say anything, seeing as she had 'eureka' written all over her face, lost in whatever snaring feeling she was currently overcome by. Of course Yukino and Haruka noticed. Utterly confused, they turned in their seats to look in the same general direction in which their drinks-fetching friend was; in an impressive show of balance, Haruka managed to tilt much more than half her body weight out of the booth to survey the situation.

And like a match flaring in the unlit space of a room, they also caught sight of her: the dark-haired girl.

Hard not to notice her - standing in the middle of the floor, in motorbike leathers, smooth blackness of her showing off her strong, slender shape, long hair down past her shoulders, pale skin and a strikingly pretty young face. Clearly in her teens, although she carried herself as though she were older.

Such a defiant air about her, in the set of the clenched jaw, observant green eyes taking everything in through the thin curtain of smoke hanging in the air, movements calm and measured as she made her way slowly through the club. She had all the appearance of a fierce princess with... well, with a very heavy round crown tucked under her arm. 'Biker Girl' seemed to study the place she'd just stepped into with a critical eye for a few moments before heading for a vacant corner of the bar, placing her helmet atop of it, hunching her shoulders as she rested her arms next to the head gear she'd just put down.

Shizuru quickly stepped to the table she'd left, set the two drinks down and, turning her head again, not letting her eyes leave this newly spotted prize, said with a voice already sounding a little distracted: "Excuse me for a moment." The blonde was gaping at her. It looked like she was going to dislocate her jaw by sheer weight if it dropped any lower.

"Oh, you got to be _kid_ -" was exclaimed behind her, but Shizuru was already moving in a determined course before she could even hear the sentence ending, already knowing what Haruka was going to say. Stupefaction, immediately followed by outrage went neatly hand-in-hand as common reactions when it came to Armitage-san. Predictability would never not be comforting.

Effortlessly gliding between the few bodies standing between her and the intended goal, she sidled up next to the leather-clad girl, listened to her ordering a glass of Coke with a somewhat low, gruff voice. It fit her - went with the persona she was showing the world, all rough edges and stern frown. Someone to approach at your own risk.

Shizuru watched her from the corner of the eye for a little while and knew without a doubt that she was going to be a most intriguing person to talk to in all ways she could possibly imagine.

"Awfully late to be out on a regular school day, isn't it?"

The girl, slightly surprised for a single second, quickly schooled her reaction, a mask of indifference settling over her features. Her eyes were a bright green. Gorgeously so. Her face, even more attractive than Shizuru had initially thought it would be from the distance she had spotted it from. A vision gliding through the smoke; something ethereally beautiful, dark and self-assertive.

Turned towards her fizzing drink again, giving the older female her profile instead. "I wasn't going to show up for classes tomorrow, anyway."

"Is that so?"

If her voice sounded particularly amused, it was most probably because it was. Was definitely looking forward to where this was heading. 'Biker Girl' threw a quick glance at her before simply making a small noncommittal noise, full attention focused on her beverage again, seemingly intent on ignoring any forthcoming questions. Playing hard to catch was only going to wet her appetite even more than it currently was; this girl apparently didn't know how to use reverse psychology to her own advantage.

Shizuru gave her best impression of 'hungry-but-not-going-to-bite'. She _did_ know how to restrain herself, contrary to belief.

"What brings a girl like you here?"

Her shrug was the most casual roll of shoulders in the world, leathers making a dry creaking noise as she did, fingers fitting lightly around the glass. Teenage apathy practiced to an effortless art. "Thought I'd check this place out."

Shizuru couldn't help but smile at the tone and behaviour. Simply couldn't.

Resting her cheek in the palm of her hand, she studied her dark-haired companion of a stranger, taking in as much of her as she could. She really was too pretty for her own good.

"So, what do you think of the place thus far?"

It looked like she considered her answer for a few minutes, brow furrowing slightly. She looked over her shoulder at a young couple occupying one booth, discernible as a boy and a girl in the darkness, heads close, smiling at each other like they didn't have a care in the world. All puppies and rainbows in their world, apparently.

"The clientele seems to be... mixed."

Which was... an interesting observation to come with, certainly. Did that mean she'd _thought_ about what kind of people she would find in here? It most definitely tickled Shizuru's curiousity - it was just one out of a million things she wanted to know, wanted to ask her about.

"I guess you could say that," she acknowledged, voice soft and amiable, noting how the young biker didn't seem to relax at the comment; how the tension in her body continued to be evident in the way she held herself, tight in the shoulders and even more so in the set of the mouth.

Only thing it did was make her want to reach over with her hands and gently massage it away.

Knew she'd lose a couple of fingers in the blink of an eye if she dared do anything like it.

Shizuru had apparently managed to draw the mysterious girl into a conversation of sorts as it was, because she was the one who chose to speak after five minutes or so of a lack of exchanged words between them which followed. The music was loud and incessant. Something like a new bout of unrest in her then; gloved fingers briefly tapping along to the beat throbbing in the air on the counter as she threw a distracted look down herself before giving a little self-deprecating smile, more for her own sake than anything else: "Don't really feel like I belong here - with what I'm wearing..."

Craning her head back, Shizuru carefully let her gaze travel up and down her back and noted how the leather only seemed to be hugging the other female's curves in a most agreeable manner, showing off the compelling shape of her cute behind in the best possible way. Slender strong limbs encased in smooth blackness which showed off a perfect build. It was - nothing short of art.

"I don't know. I'm more than certain I'm not the only one here appreciative of your choice of... _outfit_ tonight."

Made sure the unabashedly cheerful grin she was wearing couldn't be overlooked in any possible way as she made eye contact with the younger female again.

The teen pursed her lips at that remark and promptly blushed, colour streaking from her cheeks all the way up to her ears as she continued to keep her eyes on the glass in her hand despite the physical proof of her embarrassment making itself visible on her pale skin. Brought the drink to her lips in a swift movement and tipped her head back as she downed the brown content of it.

When she turned her face towards the older woman again it was only to find her wearing a faint smile, watching her with hooded, thoughtful eyes and an intrigued look. Expression a little lost and a softness in the darkened eyes which seemed far too intimate, far too close to be comforting, like she was _reaching_...

Watched as it only made her turn her head in reaction, clear her throat before frowning for the twenty-seventh time. The girl's proclivity for making those expressions only made her look like she worried a lot. Was a worrier by nature.

It was mildly disconcerting.

"So. Why _'Rorschach'_?" the question came from 'Biker Girl', loud enough over the music playing, the people talking and laughing around them.

Oh. Shizuru had forgot about them.

She briefly pondered her answer, smile playing on her lips as she did. The cigarette smoke twirling in grey traveling tendrils above her drew her eye involuntarily for a little while. "It's about minds. What people see and their interpretations of exactly _what_ they see - comes down to appearances, really, if you will. Why the name seems fitting for a nightclub somehow, I think..."

Green eyes on her, steady and intent, an obvious dare in them, brows knitting together again as she looked back at her.

"So, what do you see when you look at me?"

The song playing now was a generic pop song, the type where the singer's wailing about love and demanding it; all too hectic and endlessly thudding and it matched Shizuru's own pulse for just for a split second. But only that - and then it was back to normal, unaffected. She blamed the look she'd been pinned by earlier.

The words formed slowly. "I see someone who's searching for something. A girl who's trying to pinpoint whatever it is she's trying to figure out about herself..."

No reaction from the dark-haired female other than her fingers fitting more firmly around the glass filled with Coke, a swallowing motion in her slender throat, there and then gone.

"Also, that you're incredibly pretty. But that goes without saying."

A few surprised blinks then, another flow of colour across the cheeks, streaking over the bridge of her nose, before she seemed to get the flush under control.

"Want to hear what I see when I look at you?" And it was nonchalantly offered. That teenage indifference making itself present again.

"Absolutely."

"I see someone who... holds back. You seem to know what people want to be presented with, what they want to hear, so you say those things and you show those things..." A tilt of the glass for a second, simply to watch the drink almost slosh over the edge, a second away from staining the counter with effervescent Cola.

"And then you also come across as being a little..."

Quirking an eyebrow at the hesitation which followed, Shizuru couldn't help but playfully offer a list of suggestions, seeing as the younger woman seemed to be searching for the right word. "Forthright? Mischievous? Charming?" A pause and then: "Gay?"

'Biker Girl' had the decency to look adorably flustered then, as she only ought to. Thrown off balance temporarily before finding her retort. "Those were all _your_ words just now, not mine."

Shizuru chuckled. "Does that mean you're not impressed with my flirting skills then?"

Something that looked like a cautiously amused smile tugging at her mouth almost despite herself when she heard that. "Well... you're not exactly being _subtle_..."

And Shizuru was already opening her mouth to answer again, her own smile curving her lips, when the dark-haired girl straightened her back all of a sudden, all distant eyes and guarded, a reticent mask sliding effortlessly into place. "I have to go..."

Muttered under her breath as the helmet was quickly lifted and held against her body with one sure arm curled around it. And then she was turning around, walking away, and all Shizuru could do was blink a few times at the abruptness of their conversation coming to an end, the soft changing of air as the girl brushed past and left her.

When two bodies sidled up to her five seconds later, she didn't look up at either of them.

"What'd you say to her? Did you scare her of with your imposter suggestions?" Haruka remarked, following the retreating black form with her eyes the same way her two companions were.

"'Improper', Haruka-chan," her girlfriend pointed out, touching her girlfriend's hand briefly before withdrawing her own. Slight frown on her face as she turned to the quiet woman leaning against the bar, trying to gauge the current state her mood was in at the sudden turn of events.

Shizuru didn't say anything. Simply stayed mute as she lost sight of the leather-clad female. Then she turned towards the bar again.

Ran a slow finger up the side of the glass which had been left behind, sweeping a single drop of Cola up with the tip of her index finger, the music above and around her a blanket, hushing her thoughts as she studied the brown drop of liquid absently.

* * *

Cupping the keys in her hand to prevent them from jingling, Natsuki stopped in front of the door, sigh heavy and eyelids heavier as she more or less successfully located the keyhole. It was a talent which was incredibly handy when working without any light to see by and was only something she'd had learned from practice.

It wasn't like she felt counting how many times she'd tried finding it with the scraping tip of a key while completely blind in the blackness.

Natsuki let herself into the darkened apartment, making as little sound as possible as she quietly made her way through the pitch-black living room, moving sightlessly around a table and a sofa before entering the kitchenette.

Not bothering to turn on the lights as she moved over to the kitchen sink, she sluggishly stopp in front of it without much further instruction needed, the entirety of the night seemed to catch up with her. Placing her hands flat on the counter, she closed her eyes after a moment. Glared at the black within black behind her lids as she started to take deep long breaths, feeling the expansion and contraction of her lungs behind ribs - how they slowly worked inside her, creating a steady rhythm for her to concentrate on.

She felt tired, like she'd been drained of energy or something.

Turning her head slightly to press her nose against her shoulder, leather smooth and cold against it, the verdict was quickly made: she smelled a bit of cigarette smoke. Still. Natsuki had hoped the ride back home would have gotten rid of it, wind sweeping it off her like an invisible firm hand, obliterating any evidence still lingering on her of where she had been.

The sigh leaving her was one of epic proportions. This was the last thing she needed. Only belatedly she sensed the presence hovering in the door frame to her immediate right, watching her quietly.

"Natsuki?"

She continued to look down into the sink as though the answer to all problems was located there, focusing on the breathing going on inside her chest. The constant dripping of water from the tap, fat clear drops welling up and finally falling from the curved shiny shape, held her attention before she answered in a soft voice.

"Yes, Mom?"

The following silence lodged heavy and awkwardly between them, calling for explanations and necessary questions which none of them were willing to speak out loud, lest the silence in the apartment should break.

Her mother's voice was hushed when she spoke. Hours of tiredness brimming in it. "You should go to bed. It's late."

Swallowing once, letting her tongue sweep out to wet her bottom lip quickly, Natsuki drew a breath. "I will." The clock in the living room could be heard, ticking away the late hours; a new school day was approaching by the minute.

Didn't move, not even after listening to her mother unhurriedly make her way back to her bedroom, the short drag and muffled thump of the end of the crutch against the carpeted floor again and again measuring the distance between her daughter's body and her own with each careful step taken.

Drop after drop hitting the bottom of the sink with a metallic clang in the dark as Natsuki kept staring sightlessly down into it.


	2. With a Little Help

**Chapter 2:** With a Little Help

* * *

The crumpled ball of paper landed neatly and completely noiselessly on Natsuki's desk.

It was Friday. Last period with Sawada-sensei and every single second was dragging by with the combined weight of three heavyset sumo wrestlers. It wasn't so much his fault as it was the subject matter at hand.

Or... wait.

No, maybe it was simply a combination of both. Probably both things. An old man talking about a building older than himself just made for a lethally boring combo.

Natsuki turned slightly in her seat in order to glare in one particular direction. Mai's grin was nothing short of frown worthy - it was reaching from one ear to the other. It looked like it was going to split her face if she kept it up. Turned around again while making a low noise in her throat and looked at the misshaped white form in front of her.

Had to give her that, at least; the other girl's ability when it came to throwing objects unnoticed had become flawless. Math and History classes had certainly been made good use of.

She really should consider joining the basketball team.

Natsuki let out a quiet sigh before picking up the thrown object, pulled it opened and slowly smoothed it out into its original rectangular shape again in order to read the message intended only for her eyes. Sawada-sensei continued with his positively fascinating droning up at the blackboard, presenting his small back to the students as he started writing something.

_Soooo? What happened last night?_

It was written with, if she was allowed to say so herself, an unnecessarily _large_ handwriting, black curved shapes of the words almost filling up the entire paper. Natsuki cupped her hand over it in a protective manner, keeping it hidden from anyone who might take a sudden interest in finding out what she was currently looking at. The grin she was met with when she turned again to glare at Mai could have belonged to a happy shark, it was that obnoxious. If said shark had a baby seal stuck in its teeth, that was. No doubt about it - she kind of hated her friend with the fire of a thousand suns at the moment.

Slumping in her seat, Natsuki decided there and then to simply ignore the other teenager once school ended, completely and with no mercy. A little tuning out of the girl seemed to be in order. She wasn't being unreasonable, not really; there was a time and place for bothering your friend with unsubtle eyebrow waggling and right now wasn't the time. Or ever.

Damn it, it wasn't like it was any of Tokiha Mai's _business_, anyway.

And maybe she was being unreasonable, seeing as Mai was only teasing her, harmless fun and companionable familiarity, obviously. It just made her feel... like she had to defend herself. Wasn't feeling ashamed as much as it was like she'd just conceded… defeat? Dropped the truth in front of the short-haired female like a big yummy steak and Natsuki was showing her true colours, essentially turning out to be a lapdog, instead of a fearless lone wolf. Because she _knew _Mai knew where she had been the moment she walked in the door fifteen solid minutes late for class, caught sight of Tokiha-san's smiling face before slouching in her seat.

Mai's entire face radiated "I-know-where-you-have-been".

Well...

Come to think of it, Mai had a lot to be held responsible for, in any case. Because what was taking responsibility for your own actions, anyway. No, no, no, all the other girl's doing. Damn it, actually, it _had _been her fault to begin with - she was the one who put the idea in Natsuki's head in the first place. It was weeks ago now, what seemed like a lifetime, long gone and something to left behind for good, but the verbal results of that day had ended up churning inside her head way too persistently for her liking. _Still_ roamed around inside her skull.

One poignant question and Natsuki's entire world had narrowed down to revolving around a single aspect of her life which she still wasn't clear on herself.

They had been walking back from Fuuka Academy. Mai swung one arm back and forth along her side, playfully tapping her grumpy friend's right shoulder every time it was within reach. "Hey, Natsuki? How come you don't have a boyfriend? I mean, it's not like the offers aren't there. I for one know that Takeda-san is more than a little desperate for any kind of attention from you."

She was answered with a groan as the dark-haired girl rolled her shoulder in an attempt at not getting touched. "Don't remind me. I don't understand why he keeps running after me - we don't even share classes!"

"He just likes what he is seeing, is all," the busty girl sing-songed as she made as to tickle her friend. Natsuki simply glared at her.

"Well, I for one wish he'd leave me alone."

"Still. With someone else in your life -"

And that was it. As Natsuki came to a sudden stop, she growled at her companion. "God, Mai - does it _matter _whether I have a significant other or not?"

Mai looked slightly surprised before collecting her wits. "Well... not really, no. Just... y'know, it's _nice _having someone who loves you," she muttered, eyes glazing over as pictured her very own manly sweetheart. "Ever since Tate and I became a couple - I've never been happier."

The dark-haired teenager frowned as she delivered her deadpan observation: "As far as I remember, there was a lot of drama involved too before you guys reached that stage. Quite a number of tearful midnight phone calls from your side, correct me if I am wrong..."

Mai gave a nervous laugh, a sheepish smile forming on her face at that piece of factual truth. "Eh... that's true, but there's always good parts and bad parts when you get involved with someone else. Just the way it is."

Natsuki seemed to consider her friend's insight for a little while before starting to walk again, footsteps following her shortly afterwards. "Even if I got involved with someone, who is to say it's going to last?"

A hearty laugh from behind her. "Such a pessimist, Natsuki-chan."

Natsuki didn't mean to sound bitter but it inevitably slipped into her tone anyway. It was out before she could stop herself. "Look at my Mom and Dad..."

She felt a hand clumsily grab hers and then Mai pulled her to a halt. When she refused to meet her eyes, Natsuki was pulled into a hug. Her nose ended up pressing against the slope of a shoulder, firm form of it serving as a nice place to hide her face for a little slice of time. The school uniform smelled like it'd recently been washed.

Allowing herself to be hugged for a prolonged moment, she patiently waited for the other teenager to let go of her, body stiff and awkwardly held, like a slender bundle of jutting, tangible, emotional mess.

Mai's apologetic words were mumbled directly into her ear. "H- hey, I didn't mean it like that! You could pick and choose if that's what you wanted. I know a lot of guys would jump at the chance!"

And, actually, she should have slapped the back of her head for that comment, because when it came down to it, it wasn't her _job _to ask Natuski what she wanted or didn't want, liked or didn't like. Nosy friend was being nosy. She meant well, but... god, all she was doing was bringing up bad memories she'd rather not have on repeat inside her skull.

The embrace ended. It was only when the dark-haired teenager drew back she caught sight of the puzzled expression the other student was wearing. "If..."

When the carroty-haired girl didn't say anything else, Natsuki firmly prompted her. "What?"

"If it's a boyfriend you want..." Mai gave her a thoughtful look, and then - as if instinctively knowing that the next thing she was going to ask might scare Natsuki off like a light-shy deer startled at the tiniest noise - while holding her gaze, the revelation softly fell from her lips. "_Is_... that what you want?"

When the question was asked just like that, without any way to prepare for it and completely out of the blue... Natsuki hadn't known what to respond. Because honestly - she had no clue. She hadn't been in any relationship to help her throw any distinctive feelings into sharp relief, to measure gained painful experiences or sacred knowledge against. Mai just looked at her with these big wondering eyes when she didn't answer or say anything until the entire situation felt too awkward and far too similar to stinging kitten scratches on skin as they stood there.

They finally resumed walking, their shadows stretching out in front of them like black lines to follow. To leave behind the curling questions just asked. Natsuki and Mai bid each other goodbye in front of the small convenience store on the corner which they passed every day on their way to Fuuka Academy, each of them heading in her own direction.

It was four days later when Mai decided to randomly pull some magazines out from under her bed and throw them in front of Natsuki, seated on the busty girl's bed as she was, engrossed in her English homework. She was struggling with deciphering the meaning of a particularly troublesome and needlessly complicated sentence (it apparently seemed to be about a retirement home) when the scattered shapes near her involuntarily drew her eye and... it finally registered that those were...

... porn magazines?

All glossy surfaces, titles big, white and trying to jump out at her with their urgent messages and. Breasts. And naked butts.

Natsuki felt the blood drain from her face as she blinked at Mai.

"Hey, it's okay! I borrowed them from Tate, he won't mind. Actually, I've told him to throw them out on more than one occasion, so I'm not doing anything wrong in any case and anyway - I brought them here to help you out!"

_Help me out..._ Tried to process what she'd just been told but all she could see were floating butts and boobs, pink globes of flesh like meat planets floating around behind her eyes. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, like someone had just held her head under water for far too long.

Her friend had all the appearance of an overexcited puppy. "See anything you like?" With the utter lack of reaction from Natsuki's side, Mai frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe they are not your type?" Her mouth formed a perfect little "o". "Maybe _I'm_ your type?"

That was it.

The offended girl shot to her feet, obviously fuming and a hair's breadth away from trembling from sheer outrage. With clenched fists she pushed out through gritted teeth: "I'm going to go to the bathroom now and when I come back that... _stuff _will be gone! And the two of us will never talk about this moment ever again! Okay?"

And off she went. She made sure to slam the toilet door for good measure. If anything Mai wasn't stupid - because when Natsuki finally did return the magazines were gone, the other girl was twirling a pen between her fingers as she studied her own page in an English book like nothing had taken place.

It was five days after that horribly uncomfortable and traumatic incident when her cheerful friend invited her over to her place again, which she cautiously accepted; they were in Mai's dorm room yet again, lounging on her bed, or... well, the frowning girl was sitting on the edge of it, and looked like she was ready to jump up if given any reasonable reason.

"Natsuki..."

"Yeah?" If she sounded wary, it was Mai's own goddamn fault. Springing unexpected porn on someone just wasn't the way to cement a friendship with her.

"Have you heard of _Rorschach_?"

"What, that nightclub downtown?"

The short-haired girl was on her back, stretching her arms above her head as she yawned. "Yeah." Waited a bit to see if the other quiet girl had anything more she wanted to say or ask, but when that didn't seem to be the case, she took the lead. "Apparently it's a good place to dance... and meet new people from what I've heard."

Mai rolled over on her stomach, looked at her skeptic companion.

"Natsuki. I can get you the password if you want. You know Chie-san knows about _everything _that's going on around Fuuka - I swear, when you people voted for her as Student Council president you didn't know what powers you were dealing with. Anyway, nothing escapes her eyes and I _am_ her friend after all. Plus, I'm more or less convinced she's visited the club with Aoi, so they know whatever is necessary for someone to get into the club."

Natsuki was looking down at her hands, notably pale against the material of the skirt of her school uniform. Her stomach was knotting up, for some reason. "Mai, just drop it_,_ okay?"

The other girl nodded once. "If you say so."

It was later that night, sprawled on her bed and still halfheartedly trying to tackle some of her math homework when her mobile signaled having received a message, small light blinking repeatedly catching her attention out of the corner of her eye. Flipping the screen up, the text informed her that it was from Mai. Obviously. Who else would bother her at this hour?

Her words were few, if nothing else:

_Just in case. ^_^_

Natsuki exhaled through her nose, hard and all at once. Under the three words, a picture of a little red symbol was linked; round, except for the form breaking where the sharp little tail, almost like a comma, jutted out. Inside it there was an even smaller circle. She turned her mobile off with a frown, stretched out on her bed, and rested one cheek on her pillow.

So you showed that picture to get into the club?

Closed her eyes and tried to detect any small shuffling noises her mother might be making in her room, but there was nothing but silence throughout the entire apartment. There was a routine by now, Natsuki knew it as well as the skin on the back of her hand; Mom got back from work, Monday through Wednesday around 10pm, Thursdays and Fridays 12pm or later (pouring herself into her work to the point where it produced bags under her bespectacled eyes was all she ever did, had done for years now), slowly made her way to the kitchenette, drank a glass of water before making her slowly traversed way to the bedroom, preparing for bed. Once she'd settled down she slept like a rock.

_Rorschach..._

It sounded like... a challenge. Like something to be overcome.

* * *

Friendships were strange things - at least in Natsuki's opinion.

They had a tendency to just... happen, out of the blue. And always at times when she definitely wasn't looking for them.

Take Mai-chan, for example:

Two years ago. It had been a sunny day. Really sunny, in fact, Natsuki had thought, as she'd squinted at the sky. She had been hanging out downtown, watching the busy, buzzing sidewalk, bodies a moving multi-coloured snake slithering through town. Mom wouldn't be home at this time of the day. There was no point in going back to an emphatically empty apartment, not with the weather Fuuka was having at the moment. Intended on staying out as long as she possible could, till the sky darkened and stars would show themselves like white punctures in the black canopy above.

She was in the middle of raising her water bottle up to her lips when something had caught her attention across the crowded street. A small slender figure with reddish hair was seemingly - kneeling? No, looking like he or she was about to drop to the ground due to feeling unwell from the looks of it.

Natsuki looked around - nobody was paying the slightest attention to the crumpling figure, pedestrians minding themselves as they kept walking. After waiting for a minute or so, she decided she couldn't just stand there if she _were _the only one who had noticed the person who appeared to be on the brink of passing out. Natsuki checked her right - then left - before running over to the individual in distress.

She looked at the panting bundle of T-shirt and shorts in front of her. "Hey. Are you okay?"

A squinting young face tilted up - belonging to that of a boy. "I - yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Looking a little pale there. Here, drink some water."

Handed the bottle to him and it didn't even take two seconds before he was busy taking big grateful gulps - apparently he needed it. Natsuki was considering what her next step should be as a girl approximately around her own age came running up to the pair, almost shoving people out of her way to get to her goal, she was that focused on the younger male.

Her voice was really loud. "Takumi? Oh, Takumi! I'm so sorry! I only saw your SMS during my break, we were so busy, people kept ordering and we -"

"Onee-chan, I'm fine," he interrupted, allowing himself to be swept up in a bone-breaking embrace. She let go of him long enough to open her right hand; in it a white rectangular plastic container rested. "I brought your pills, here..."

So... they were siblings. Nice that things turned out well then. Seeing as everything seemed to be under control, Natsuki didn't see any reason as to why she shouldn't turn around and be on her way. That was until the newcomer made a surprised noise behind her.

"You saved my brother! Thank goodness!" the strange girl bellowed and then proceeded to throw her arms around her brother's Knight with a Shining Water Bottle to carry out a massive bear hug. And, whoa, that was a lot of personal space being invading all of a sudden - it left the dark-haired student so flabbergasted she forgot to swat the offender away.

When she was finally released, she took two steps backwards, just to put some safe distance between them. Facing a potential madwoman was the last thing she needed right now.

As if recalling her manners, the busty teenager's face broke into a huge smile. "Ah. Yeah, me and my brother just moved here. I'm Tokiha Mai and this is my little brother, Takumi." The boy was proudly presented by his shoulders, almost held out like he was the world's cutest kitten or an accomplishment to be universally admired. Natsuki just blinked in response. The boy gave her an apologetic smile.

"So you attend Fuuka Academy?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Oh, wanna meet up tomorrow? It's gonna be our first day there - would be nice to have someone to show us around."

At Natsuki's weirded out expression, the other female quickly threw up her hands in apology. Was moving a bit to fast here for the other teenager, apparently. "I promise I'll make it up to you!"

She frowned for a good solid minute. Folded arms across her chest, and studied the siblings standing in front of her, considering whether to deem them worthy of her attention or not. Finally – after long, long moments of weighing pros against cons – she conceded, because, dammit, they looked like they were decent enough people... as long as they kept their hands to themselves. That Mai person there seemed like she enjoyed using her hands an awful lot. "Alright. I'm Kuga... Kuga Natsuki."

Tokiha Mai's smile widened. "Pleased to meet you, Natsuki-chan."

Friendships - yeah, they were strange things indeed.

* * *

Sawada-sensei lightly bowed as the school day _finally_ came to an end.

Of course Mai was right behind her as soon as they exited the room.

"Please?"

"Stop asking already!"

"Pleaaaase?"

"Gah! Fine! Nothing happened, okay?"

"Did you meet anyone?"

"No!"

"Aww, that's a shame," Mai mused as she winked at her friend, making a failed attempt at linking her arm with Natsuki's. "So... wanna come over and eat dinner with me? Takumi is out with a friend and Tate told me he has to work on a paper."

Natsuki tried to suppress it, she _really _did, but she couldn't help but smile. Tokiha Mai really did care about her, didn't she? Even if she happened to frustrate her immensely sometimes... her heart was in the right place. Two years had to count for something.

"Sure."

* * *

The neatly stacked numbers of printed papers were casually placed on the black desk next to the desktop computer. Yukino typed out the sentence she was in the middle of writing, cursor coming to a blinking pause, before turning her head to look at them.

Shizuru commented in a matter-of-fact tone: "These need to be handed to Mr. Armitage before 14.00."

Yukino pushed her glasses further up onto her nose. "Will do," she absently muttered as she scanned the newly arrived first paper, slightly knitted brow showing she was concentrating on the task at hand.

The body standing next to her still hadn't moved, though.

"How's Haruka feeling?"

The seated woman looked up at her friend; even though they were wearing the same identical outfit, workplace requirement and etiquette, she couldn't help but feel Shizuru was wearing it better. White dress shirt fitting her curves, black skirt stopping just across the knees, long chestnut hair coming down to the middle of her back, the combination giving the tuned and calculated impression of an overall professional competence. Seemed to exude it in the very way she was standing; powerful and experienced, a force to be reckoned with. Having this woman on your side, be it in a workplace or companionable context, was like having an ace up your sleeve, Yukino quietly mused as she looked up at the other female's profile. Shizuru wouldn't let someone down if she felt she had to personally answer to the person.

"Mr. Arm - her father made her stay home today. Didn't want her to show up sick, so I went up to check her office this morning, just to make sure she wasn't being her stubborn self and decided to come in today. Guess she listened to him."

"Well, we can't all have a father who's a well-off CEO, can we," Shizuru sighed with a small indulgent smile as she leaned against the desk, all smooth and effortless movement. _Rorschach_, work – the location didn't matter when it came to being sensually present in Viola-san's case. "I wish _my _father owned this office building - I'd call in sick every day."

Yukino gave a small snort, an uncharacteristic noise from her, but it was out before she could stop it as the clattering of keyboard typing continued. "Says the woman who essentially represents Armitage Corp's face outwards when it comes to business meetings with other companies. You boost sales – we have numbers to confirm it."

Instead of a pleased answer, a drawn-out groan sounded. "I'd gladly let Haruka take over, seeing as she wants to so much. You know I loathe doing it. Talking to old men for god knows how many hours postively _drains _the soul. Too bad we both know your girlfriend maybe isn't... well, Haruka-chan has her very own way of expressing herself, shall we say."

The shorter woman chuckled. Already knew that – not like it was a secret. "And yet you are good at your job. As far as I recall someone mentioned you being," and here Yukino did her best impression of a serious gruff male voice,"- one of our most promising hard-working members of Armitage Corp with a bright future in front of her."

Shizuru studied the nails of her right hand. "Such flattery." A thought seemed to occur to her then. "Hmm... Haruka has an eye for marketing and the strategic approach to how resources are best made use of - while I know how to sell the product. Clearly the two of us should make a lovechild, our offspring would be an invincible force."

"I'd prefer being the one creating a family with her, Viola-san, if you wouldn't mind."

The Kyoto-born woman leaned in then, lowering her face as she stepped close behind the office chair. To anyone passing by it looked as though she was simply surveying what her colleague had written in an open document. With a hushed voice Shizuru let her warm breath puff against the shell of an ear. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan, I won't tell anyone you've been _fucking _the daughter of the boss for the last couple of years."

Predictably, it resulted in Yukino flushing from the top of her head down to her neck. "Consider it lesbian solidarity," the accented voice teasingly whispered before she took a small step away.

"You're terrible," her friend admonished, the tips of her ears still red, showing her physical reaction to the words uttered as she kept writing.

"You wouldn't have it any other way," Shizuru commented, her attention now directed somewhere else. The office department was buzzing with quiet energy - people were immersed in their work, slaving away as the round clock on the white wall kept ticking.

Shizuru tapped the pen she'd been holding in one hand against her lips, a smirk forming as she purred: "And who is that?"

The bespectacled woman looked up from her screen, grateful to feel that the blush had disappeared from her cheeks by now as she tried to figure out who her friend was talking about. As soon as she located the object of Viola-san's fascination she made an exasperated noise. "Do you ever tire, Shizuru?"

"I have no idea of what you're referring to, dearest. I'm simply interested in the best for this corporation, is all."

Yukino's deadpan answer was called for. "I'm sure." _Things can only hold your interest as long as there's breasts and a vagina involved._ They both watched as a young woman stood awkwardly some distance away from them, visibly nervous as one hand kept clenching in front of her like she was trying to squeeze confidence out of her own pores somehow. She was studying a piece of paper, worrying her bottom lip between teeth.

"That's Soir Akane, she just started here - looks like she's still trying to get the hang of things." A short moment and then an added comment. "Don't do anything stupid now."

"And stupid would be?"

Yukino sighed. It said more than any words she could possibly choose in that situation.

"Have faith in me, Yukino-chan," the Kyoto woman sing-songed as she walked in the direction of the brown-haired woman, throwing a wink over her shoulder at her friend before focusing completely on her goal.

Shizuru stopped in front of the person completely immersed in reading the piece of paper in her slender hand. "Soir Akane-san?"

At hearing her name mentioned she instantly stiffened, head jerking up as though she'd just been caught with her hand in the figurative cookie jar. "Y-yes?"

An easy welcoming smile and she could see Akane grow a teeny bit less nervous. _Oh, like a lamb to the slaughter – they never know what's coming, do they?_ Shizuru folded her hands in front of her, looking the very picture of refined respectability. Nothing to fear here, not at all. "I'm Viola Shizuru - you are new to Armitage Corp, correct? Are you familiar with the facilities?"

"Oh, ah... no, not exactly... I started this Tuesday so everything's all still a bit new to me," she nervously laughed, looking around as she did. Shizuru smiled again – this time it bore the tiniest hint of a wolf's intent in it. "Would you like a short tour? I'd be happy to show you."

"Oh, that's kind of you. Yes, thank you!" And it really was that easy. Shizuru allowed her colleague to step in front of her, making as though to rest her hand on the small of Akane's back to direct her, but let it hover in the space before contact was made instead - almost touching, and yet not.

If Shizuru wasn't mistaken...

She was almost certain she caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision of Yukino rolling her eyes before she gently guided a fidgety Akane in the direction of the copy room.


End file.
